Kathmandu, March 28
Top leaders of the 10-party ruling alliance discussed Cabinet portfolio division, but failed to reach a deal today.
Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak told medipersons after the meeting there was no disagreement among the ruling alliance partners on the division of number of Cabinet portfolios and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would soon expand his Cabinet. "There is no feud among alliance partners in the matter of Cabinet portfolios. All alliance partners are one on expanding the Cabinet soon and strengthening the alliance," he added.
Lekhak said the PM presented a draft of the common minimum programme, which the alliance partners discussed. He said alliance partners would discuss the CMP in the next meeting before finalising it. Asked if demands by alliance partners for more and plum ministries had put the PM in a difficult situation, Lekhak said that it was natural for all alliance partners to demand plum ministries.
A leader who attended the meeting said the PM proposed to give eight ministries to the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives and five ministries to CPN-Maoist Centre, two to CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal and one each to other alliance partners – Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Nepal Samajwadi Party and Aam Janata Party.
The leader said both CPN (US) and JSP-N had demanded three ministries for themselves.
Senior CPN (US) leader Jhalanath Khanal told mediapersons today that his party had demanded three ministries.
Delay in expansion of Cabinet has adversely impacted service delivery as the PM has been holding more than a dozen ministries since the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Swatantra Party, the partners in previous seven party alliance, left the Dahal-led Cabinet.
As per the constitutional provision, there cannot be more than 25 ministers in the Cabinet, including the PM.
Janamat Party Chair CK Raut said the PM was ready to add one minister of state from his party.Currently, the Raut-led Janamat Party holds the Ministry of Water Supply.
PM Dahal, who wanted to expand his Cabinet immediately after the vote of confidence has not been able to do so as alliance partners are demanding plum ministries.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
